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One of the things I am keen to do is identify whether the waiting list figure is a true picture of young people old enough to join a section, but where no places are available; or is it a list of young people who have not reached the minimum age requirement, but have registered with a local group to join when they were old enough.

To help provide clarity on the issue, there is a factsheet available that replaces the previous one on waiting lists: FS155058 Guidelines for Managing Registers of Interest and Joining Lists.

So what is the difference between a Register of Interest and a Joining List?

A ‘Register of Interest’ is a list for anyone under the core age range of a section, who wants to join a section when they are old enough.

A ‘Joining List’ includes anyone who has already reached the core age of their section and is waiting for a place to become available for them.

By separating your lists, it allows you to see a much clearer picture of the demand for Scouting and where your group may need additional support from the district or county to allow the young people to join the adventure at the earliest possible opportunity. The factsheet gives some examples of how groups can take in additional young people. A number of Districts and Groups are already opening second sections to accommodate more young people.

A joining list of young people also allows us access to parents who are keen to get their child involved in Scouting. This is a great recruitment opportunity for us, as some of these adults may be willing to take on a Scouting role if it benefits their child.

What must it feel like for the children who are added to a list with no chance of joining? What disappointment do they feel, particularly when friends in school come in each week and talk about the fun, games and adventures they’ve had. When you look at it from a child’s point of view, surely we should be doing all we can to accommodate them.

If you have a large joining list for your group or section, and realistically you feel that you will struggle to accommodate these young people – please don’t keep it to yourself.

• Tell your DC

• Then get in touch with the County Development team.

We can work with your group to help you find the best solution for getting more children involved in Scouting. Why should any young person ‘Wait’ to be a Scout?